True stories from a realistic optimist. I discover life lessons in almost everything- from the mundane, to the deep, to the silly! My overthinking overflows into stories which are intended to inspire, encourage or just make you laugh.

Saturday, May 6, 2017

The little red-haired girl (not Charlie Brown's crush) woke up about six every Saturday morning. Although not fully awake, she would pitter patter to the bookshelf, collect all of her Dr. Seuss books and put them on the bed. Then she would prop her pillow up against the headboard, get back into bed and pull the blankets up to her waist.

The wee reader would lean back against that pillow, get comfy, then place the stack of books on her lap.

She'd breathe a contented sigh and think "No school today! Hmm,which book do I want to read first? 'Hop on Pop'? Maybe 'Are You My Mother?'". Her favorite one was 'Fox in Socks'.
She was in first grade.

That ginger child loved school and was always a good student. Well, that is if you don't count Math. For some reason, reading, spelling and writing just came naturally to her; but division, fractions and algebra were often a struggle.

She would dream of what she wanted to be when she grew up. She was just fascinated by sea life! The Jacques Cousteau (famous marine conservationist) tv documentaries inspired her. She decided at one point that she'd be a marine biologist!

When she was about twelve, the fair-skinned, freckled kid already loved all kinds of music. The Motown sound was her favorite. She could really get down with her bad self! She thought she was talented enough to become a dancer on Soul Train. Yep, Soul Train.

Of course, she had more realistic ideas too, like being a wife someday, a mommy, a teacher, and to write books.

Even while her starry-eyed dreams were forming in her mind, the little girl was keeping a daily diary. She'd received it for her ninth birthday. It was a small one, gold with fuchsia roses on it. It even had a lock and key! She recorded the day's events almost every night before bed. At first, she had trouble keeping the words in the slim-ruled lines. Her little fingers just weren't that coordinated yet. But she continued writing. It became very important to her.

The diary keeper's stories detailed the mundane and the exciting events of daily life, but they were full of her hopes and dreams too. All of which shaped who she is today.

I'm sure it's no surprise that "who she is today" is me: a fifty-four year old wife, mom and grandma who is finally pursuing her dream of being an author.

I've been educating myself online for several years. Many insecurities have been overcome! Putting my work "out there" for all to see and judge was a daunting task for a long time.

Thankfully, I've had a few wonderful mentors and cheerleaders during the beginning of my journey. I learned about the importance of developing my own "personal brand". My blog reflects this and so do the stories I've been submitting to publishers and various social sites.

My newest adventure is a different twist on creative writing. I was hired a few months ago to write informational posts for business websites. Sometimes, hoity-toity and/or more advanced authors call this kind of company a 'content mill'. I call it an exciting learning experience and a way to actually earn some money regularly.

This work involves research, similar to doing papers long ago in college. Proper grammar, spelling and punctuation can make or break the sale of a blog post. Yet I am still challenged to be very creative in how I present the information. I'm nerdy enough that I just love all aspects of it!

I've been calling myself a word nerd for a long time now. When I recently looked up "nerd" in an urban dictionary, this is the best one I found. It really fits me!Urban Dictionary: Nerd

True enjoyment for me is when I'm in my creating zone. When my deep or silly or persuasive thoughts, memories and ideas finally come together and just flow through the keyboard.
If you were to peek in on me while I'm in that zone, you might catch me with emotional tears streaming down my cheeks, or laughing out loud. You might hear me exclaiming "YES! That's the perfect word, exactly what I needed!!"

So, I wear the title "Passionate Word Nerd" proudly and gratefully. How interesting to me that Dr. Seuss is credited with being the creator of that word!

Thank you Mom (RIP) and Theodor Seuss Geisel for planting the first seeds of word love in my young mind and heart. I'll continue my writing journey with enthusiasm!